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Lifehacks For Cleaning

For a super mom like me with a baby, a sleepy-head husband, four furry friends and has a very busy lifestyle with no nanny and a helper, one of the time-consuming tasks I do is to clean our very own home.

We live in a two-story small spaced apartment with storage boxes here and there. Well, that sounds like much of a clutter, I know right?

Normally, I do the general cleaning and laundry on weekends but unfortunately by midweek the mound of fresh and clean laundry is still on our tiny sofa, dirty dishes at rest waiting to be washed and to top it off, flying dog furs are everywhere. Then at the end of the week, it’s a different story. Yes my friend, it is quite an exhausting cycle.

If you inhabit a house, pad or apartment with little space, you know that it’s quite a challenge to keep it spotless and neat comparable to the luxurious ones complete with maids and cleaners. You may ask me, why is that? Simply because smaller space can’t keep up with the growing number of things that you want for your home as well as the pile of dirt and dust that you unconsciously get from the outside world.

Worry no more though since a few ingenious people out there found ways to use common things you normally have at your home as help for you to achieve the cleanliness you long desire. Consider this list as life hacks that somehow cheat what is the norm and create comfort to those who applies.

BEDROOM

Put together your bed.

Start your day right by arranging your bed the moment you wake up. Making it as a daily habit will not just help you keep your bedroom neat but also pleasant to the eyes.

Get rid of the glasses and water bottles in your bedside table.

Take away the glasses and water bottles that you used last night and keep your bedside table clutter-free. Make sure to wipe the table to steer clear of the dust.

Keep a mini laundry bag in sight.

Place a mini laundry bag in the corner of your bedroom or inside your closet and always empty it in the morning.

Keep your closet in order.

When you’re in rush, closet disarrangement can happen. To avoid messing up you folded clothes, try to have a glimpse on your closet every morning and if there’s any disarrays, put them back in place. Also, you can search for tips on the internet on how to organize your closet and make it clutter-free.

Place a trash bin.

Keep a small bin in your room for your trash and unnecessary clutter from last night and make it a habit to clean the bin in the morning.

Open the curtains and windows.

Let your room experience the sunlight and fresh air in the morning. It’s a natural way of deodorizing it and it’s always nice to see well-lit bedrooms.

Wipe down surfaces and sweep away the dust.

Get rid of the dust and dirt every morning by wiping off the surfaces and sucking out the corners and the floor using a vacuum.

Vinegar solution to eliminate the bugs.

Make the bugs and other insects stay away from your bedroom by spraying a bit of vinegar on the walls.

Car fresheners to add scent and aroma.

Do you know that car air fresheners can actually make excellent and convenient room deodorizer? It has a long-lasting aroma and there are a lot of scent selections to choose from.

Also, car air fresheners don’t leave unwanted mists compared to sprays. The smell produced by the car freshener is much more concentrated, can be equally distributed and can effectively as well as quickly eliminate bad odors.

Since car air fresheners are designed to be placed on small dashboards, stick on air-conditioning vents, or hanged from the passenger mirror, these deodorizers won’t take too much of the room’s space.

Other than that, in terms of cost, they are quite cost effective and it’s easy to store and last longer than fragrant sprays. Check out a list of best car air freshener put together by peimag.

KITCHEN

Wash the dishes right after eating your meals.

Doing the dishes right after you had your meal is an ideal time for everyone. Studies suggest that by the simple act of washing the dirty dishes could actually promote state of mindfulness.

Also, make it a habit to wash used kitchen tools during and after cooking. It will make it a lot easier to clean up after each meal.

Always wipe counter tops and cooking surfaces right after using.

Don’t let the tiny spill of grease or dirt in your kitchen to last for a couple of hours or worse days. Whenever you see one, make sure to clean it right away to avoid stains and discolorations. Remember that everyone loves to cook on a spotless kitchen.

Organize your kitchen equipment accordingly.

Organization is the key in having a spotless kitchen. Put your cooking tools, dishware and ingredients accordingly on the right designated places. In fact, you don’t have to spend a fortune in systematizing your stuff, there are lots of tutorials online on how to organize your kitchen.

Put a trash bin under the kitchen counter.

Have a trash bin under the kitchen counter or anywhere you’d like to place it. Make sure that the rubbish storage is covered.

Furthermore, always empty it by night, after you wash your dishes, to avoid unpleasant smell.

Disinfect as possible.

Do you know that the kitchen is one of the dirtiest spaces in your home? After you’ve done the cooking and cleaning, make sure to spray some disinfectant on the area to eliminate unwanted bacteria and germs.

LIVING ROOM

Mini storage for clutters.

Mini basket for clutters is a must-have in a living room. Before hitting the sack, make sure to pick up the clutters such as books, magazines, toys and other stuff in your leaving room and put them back in place the following morning. By doing so, it will be less hassle to clean your living area.

Get rid of the dust in appliances and furniture.

Don’t wait for the dirt and dust to accumulate in your appliances and furniture. By making a habit of wiping the dust off, it will be easy for you to clean up.

BATHROOM

Storage for bathrooms.

It’s always a nice feeling to relax and take a warm shower in an organized and tidy bathroom. In small homes, it is quite expected that the bathroom space is also just enough. However, you can utilize every space in your bathroom for storage. You can have wall-hanging baskets or even a small shelf to organize your things. Moreover, there are countless ways in organizing your bathroom belongings.

Keep the disinfectant and cleansing powder in sight.

Just like the tips mentioned in the keeping your kitchen clean, it is also important to do such thing in your bathroom.

Wipe off the counters and sink with a bit of cleansing powder once a day. And clean the toilet area at least twice a week.

Also, disinfect as much as possible.

Keep the fallen hair off the drain.

After taking a shower, it won’t hurt to pick up the fallen hair off the drain. Don’t wait for it to accumulate and start causing floor drain clogs.

Trash bin in place.

Place a trash bin under the sink or in the corner of the bathroom. Make sure to empty it every morning.

Deodorize to eliminate odor.

LAUNDRY AREA

Baskets for dirty and fresh laundry.

As you transfer the dirty clothes from your room into the laundry area, make it a daily routine to separate the white clothes, colored ones, underwear and pants. By doing so, you won’t be having a hard time sorting out clothes in doing your laundry. Moreover, get a separate basket for your clean clothes.

Organize your laundry essentials.

Just like most of the things on the other sections of your home, keep your laundry materials organized.

OTHER USEFUL TIPS:

• Organize your cleaning supplies and put it under the sink or any storage that you find convenient.• Always keep a baking soda, vinegar and lemon in hand for future use in hard to remove stains and dirt. Its an inexpensive and natural way of cleaning.

STORAGE SPACE

Find a tiny space in your house and transform it into storage. It is essential for organizing your cleaning supplies and other tools.

Place a space-saving vertical containers for tissue rolls and door-hanging racks for sprays, disinfectants, detergent, etc.

For people who have lots of empty boxes, fold to flatten them. Keep your boxes for future use.

For those who are living with pets:

• Use a vacuum or lint roller to swiftly get the pet hair off all your furniture. • Bathe your pets twice or thrice a week to avoid unwanted smell and hair dander. • Make a storage space for your pets’ stuff and food. • Practice discipline on your pets to avoid clutters from chewing books, wires or even sofas.

Final Thoughts…

To sum it up, here are the things you should keep in mind:

1. Clean as you go. 2. Don’t buy unnecessary stuff because it will only add to the clutter. 3. Choose space-saving furniture. 4. Make use of the multifunctional storage pieces for organizing. 5. Allocate a day each week as your deep-cleaning day.

Is it always pleasurable to live in a neat and tidy home, no matter how small or large it is. If you’ll follow the tips and tricks that were listed above, definitely, you won’t be having problems in keeping your home spotless.

As for myself, I’ll keep those smart hacks in mind make it a daily habit.